On the second night, after Jen had gone to bed, Mia started asking me about what boys thought of girls and what should she do about this particular b...y who was paying her attention. She asked me what the boy had meant when he asked her for a smelly finger. I was a bit blindsided but recovered and turned it back on her."What do YOU think he wanted?"She said " I suppose to feel between my legs." How would you feel about that?" I asked"He is a pig." she said. "Anyway I can do that for myself." Do. She was quietly crying. Gently, quietly, unobtrusively. No sobbing,and one would not really have known but for the glint of tears onher cheek."Anne!" David came up behind her, and unthinking, placed an armgently round her waist in a natural gesture of sympathy andaffection. " What is the matter?" For the first time that day, forthe first time in a long time, he was moved by a sorrow other thanhis own.She turned to him, his hand sliding round her waist, adjusting, butnot losing the human. If you can’t do that, you should leave now.”“I’ll stay.”“Take off those ratty clothes – every stitch.”My clothes were kind of worn – even my best clothes were kind of shabby, but I was surprised by this.“You mean naked?”“Exactly. Get started or get out of here.”I had on one of my less ragged tee shirts and pulled it over my head. Traci took it from me and threw it in the corner. I then took off my shabby tennis shoes and socks and she did much the same with them. I paused briefly and Traci came. He had looked worse, but not in a long time.Dan shrugged his shoulders and said, “I didn’t make it home until three this morning.”“Was there a problem at the pizzeria?”“No, I was helping a friend,” Dan said.“You should have stayed in bed for an extra hour rather than come by here,” Granny Parker said.It always amazed her to what lengths he would go to help out a friend. It was rather humbling to watch. It was even more humbling to experience firsthand how freely he gave his help.“I wanted to.